UPSC QUIZ 28.12.2023

Explanation:

• In the calendar year 2023, only 18 audit reports on the Union government’s accounts, prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), were tabled in Parliament.
• A year-wise analysis shows that the number of audits on the Union Government tabled in Parliament has been decreasing.
• On average, 22 reports were tabled each year between 2019 and 2023, compared to the 40 reports tabled between 2014 and 2018.

Office of CAG

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India, is a constitutional authority which heads the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD). The two entities are known as the Supreme Audit Institution of India (SAI).

Explanation:

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released a Global Study on Homicide 2023 report, which found that homicide is a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined.
• Homicide is the killing of a person, whether lawful or unlawful, intentional or unintentional while Murder is the unlawful killing of a person with intent or malice aforethought.
• The report examines homicides related to criminal activities and interpersonal conflict, as well as “socio-politically motivated homicides” such as the deliberate killing of human rights activists, humanitarian workers and journalists.

Explanation:

• Union Minister of Earth Sciences flagged off India’s first winter scientific expedition to Himadri, the nation's Arctic Research Station situated in Ny-Ålesund within the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic.
• The first batch of the maiden Arctic winter expedition comprises researchers from the host National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Raman Research Institute.

Importance of The Winter Arctic Scientific Expedition

• Indian scientific expeditions to the Arctic during the winter will allow researchers to conduct unique scientific observations during polar nights, where there is no sunlight for nearly 24 hours and sub-zero temperatures.
• It opens more avenues for India to expand our scientific capabilities in Earth’s poles.
• This will aid in expanding understanding of the Arctic, especially climate change, space weather, sea-ice and ocean circulation dynamics, ecosystem adaptations, etc. which affect weather and climate in the tropics, including monsoons.

Explanation:

• 2024 has been declared the International Year of the Camelids by the United Nations.
• This decision has been taken to highlight the vital importance of camelids in the lives of people around the world.
• “The International Year of Camelids 2024 aims to create awareness of the untapped potential of camelids and advocate for increased investment, more research, and capacity development in the camelids sector.
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), camels impact the lives of millions of households in more than 90 countries.
• Camelids as a group include alpacas, Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, vicuñas.
• These are ruminant herbivores, their body structure consists of thin neck, long legs and sharp and pointed teeth.
• They do not have hooves; rather, they have two toes on their feet, which have nails and soft pads.
• It helps ensure food security, nutrition, and economic development, especially for indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Camelids are a source of milk and meat that helps people fight hunger.
• They also provide fiber that can be used for clothing and shelter.

Explanation:

• United Kingdom to implement carbon border tax on Iron from 2027.
• After the European Union, the United Kingdom government has decided to implement carbon border tax on iron, steel, aluminium, ceramics and cement from 2027.
• The amount of tax will depend on the amount of carbon emitted in the production of the imported goods and the gap between the carbon price in the UK and the country of origin.
• The levy of tax will make sure carbon intensive products like steel and ceramics from other countries face a comparable carbon price to those produced in the UK.
• This will give confidence to UK industry to invest in decarbonisation.
• India has opposed the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and lodged a protest at WTO.
• India argued that this step is against the differentiated approach for developing countries and is not according to the WTO rules or the UN framework.